


room in the clouds

by birdsandivory



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Fix It Fic, James' POV, Jeith - Freeform, M/M, Post S7, Romantic Fluff, a smidge, jaith - Freeform, of hurt/comfort, s8 fix it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-25 23:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17734808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdsandivory/pseuds/birdsandivory
Summary: He used to think that he had Keith all figured out.Long-faced loner. Peerless prodigy. Guileless genius.Knowing Keith now, he can’t believe how wrong he’d been.





	room in the clouds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kunfetti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kunfetti/gifts).



> This one is a Valentine's Day gift for my lovely friend, Aimee. How I do adore her! <3
> 
> I hope you all enjoy my first attempt at Jeith!
> 
> Thank you [Silverine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverine). <3
> 
> [ 02.27.2019 ]: Some minor edits made!

He used to think that he had Keith all figured out.

Long-faced loner. Peerless prodigy. Guileless genius.

He had the universe on his side, bringing in high ranks effortlessly, no need for practice or study or late nights without rest just to pull in the grade. To what end did he need those things, like hard work and perseverance, when he had natural talent and unparalleled skill?

James had hated him.

Though, as he thinks back on it, he realizes that it wasn’t hate at all, not really. Maybe it had been jealousy, his inability to come close to the other’s greatness, the inability to get close to _him —_ though he’s not sure if that last feeling had been something real or something fabricated from the admiration he has for the paladin now.

He doesn’t really know.

What he does know is that, at one point, he just thought Keith a guy who thought he was on top of the world. That everything was effortless and that everyone else was beneath his scuffed boots.

James has to wonder where those thoughts had come from in the first place.

Maybe they arose from trips to the office when competition became thrown fists and instead of the validation he’d believed would come of the other noticing him, a certain disdain for his popularity bore its breath.

Or maybe they came from all of those years he dwelled in the shadows that hadn’t even been cast because Keith had been too humble a cadet to even care about anything more than sleeping, eating, and piloting.

Was it when James noticed he was the Golden Boy’s Golden Boy?

Shiro’s _favorite?_

He can’t seem to whittle it out after all these years.

Those memories fade so easily into the dark depths of his mind, childhood games that held no weight in the real world. He’s learned his lesson since then, that rivalry is just another word for a man fighting between the ache in his heart and the sound logic of his mind.

He’s reminded of their first meeting since the Garrison. In the beginning, all he had wanted to do was finally prove him wrong, show him how much _James Griffin_ had grown in his absence as a pilot and became a possibility the paladin just threw away without a second thought.

But instead, he was introduced to Keith Kogane, Black Paladin of _Voltron —_ and all of his _I told you so’s_ and _look at me nows_ faded away in the wake of that greatness he beheld.

In reality, James hadn’t caught up to him at all.

He ended up with a crash course in respect, in leaving the past behind and taking accountability for his actions, in being more than a title and a high-score on a leaderboard.

...Once upon a time, he thought he knew everything there was to understand about the guy — cocky, full of himself, red with pride.

Knowing Keith now, he can’t believe how wrong he’d been.

But he’s grateful, too.

James is no stranger to the human ego — his own, though a muted buzz now, is one to be reckoned with if the occasion so rises — and it has only been with Keith’s unintentional help that he’s reeled it in and became more humble. His know-all flaws are just a part of the past now. There’s a humility about the paladin that makes him check himself, makes him second guess the sharp, silver tongue he used to be so proud of.

He thinks that this is what it means to become a better man.

And being as close as he is to Keith now, he only thinks he’ll become even more worthy of him.

A sudden hum brings James to, and he notes how much time has passed since mid-afternoon when Shiro had them gathered for one last communion before the real work begins, dismissing them for a night to themselves.

_“...spend it with the people you love.”_

It’s easier said than done.

The evening breeze blows stray strands into his mouth and when he reaches up to brush his hair back, he catches sight of a red uniform beside him.

They sit atop Keith’s lion in the evening air, a little too close to each other, but without any contact to show for it. The paladin has his hand pressed to the cool metal beneath him, and James has long since understood that he sometimes feels comfort in communicating with its spirit. He doesn’t question the absurdity of it, not anymore, he’s seen too much to have any doubts now. And he likes the peace it seems to bring the other; he’s so used to seeing confliction in his eyes, the absence of all that misplaced emotion is kind of nice.

James lets out a drawn breath.

The sun’s finally set, the darkness is only off-put by the glow of the weapon beneath them and the Garrison lights. It’s when he begins to realize that this last day is coming to an end and it begs for something more significant than this, something real, but all he can do is find the northern star and hope it guides him toward words that are meaningful.

But it leads him to the simplicity of his beating heart instead.

“I love you, you know.”

There’s a waning silence between them, and James thinks that he can almost _see_ the moon’s slow rise as if it would give him the privilege of casting eyes on its movement. He knows that if he looks away, he’ll miss the subtleties of its walk across the sky, but he’d rather that than miss the chance that Keith might be looking his way.

He risks it, dragging his eyes from the rising rock of stardust and to the man beside him.

Striking violets are staring at the appearing stars instead.

But... James doesn’t find that _disappointing,_ doesn’t let it get to him, not when he spots the corner of those lips curling into a smile that’s usually too delicate for someone like Keith.

He takes it, especially when _just_ the very tips of rough fingers stroke the top of his hand and he hears a low _‘me, too.’_

The pilot doesn’t make a move to grab for his hand, to try and make sense of the too close-too far feeling he has sitting there next to Keith. And though there are no eggshells to fear treading, there’s a comfort, a balance in the initiation of touch.

Even if it’s just fingertips.

“I’m sorry. This isn’t what I had planned for today,” he admits, as though he had promises of soaring through skies that never quite came to fruition.

The other really does take his hand then, just a simple palm resting over his sharp knuckles, and his curled fingers are pressed flush against the Black Lion’s helm as the paladin leans in — lips finding his.

There’s nothing more painful than the slow pace at which Keith loves, but James doesn’t much mind, even when he pulls away all too soon.

He just lets his lion nestle into his side where he belongs, drawing the pilot’s arm around his body, shrugging nonchalantly.

“I’m fine,” he says quietly, “just, you know, sitting around here like this.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! And don't be afraid to find me on [Tumblr](http://birdsandivory.tumblr.com).


End file.
